Description:

Abolitionist Senator Charles Sumner Autograph Manuscript

Autograph Manuscript, "The Case of the Florida, Illustrated by Precedents of British History, Supplement", 1p, on lined stationery measuring 7.375" x 9.875", no place, no date. Unsigned. Mounting remnants and ink splatter at otherwise blank verso. Flattened folds and light creasing. Some minor scattered ink smudging. A few tiny edge tears. In fine condition. 

This important manuscript regards the case of the Confederate ship Florida and correspondence between U.S. Secretary of State William Henry Seward (1801-1872) and U.S. Minister to Brazil James Watson Webb (1802-1884). In part: 'The recent correspondence...seems to bring the case of the Florida to a close. Our gov't...has made reparation for the original act of violence, which has been so much discussed. The vessel itself, out of which the question arose, was no longer in existence, so that the only important point not already settled by principle & precedent, was eliminated given the case."

Charles Sumner (1811-1874) was an American lawyer, politician, and Massachusetts statesman. Before and during the Civil War, he was a leading American advocate for the abolition of slavery. Sumner was nearly beaten to death by Representative Preston Brooks (1819-1857) of South Carolina with a cane on the floor of the Senate after delivering an anti-slavery speech. The episode became a symbol of polarization in the antebellum period; Sumner became a martyr in the North and Brooks a hero in the South. Sumner had a controversial and divisive legacy for many years after his death, but in recent decades, his historical reputation has improved in recognition of his early support for racial equality. 

CSS Florida was anchored at Bahia, Brazil on October 7, 1864, while her captain was ashore with half his crew, and was caught defenseless in an illegal night attack by Navy steam sloop-of-war USS Wachusett, commanded by Napoleon Collins (1814-1875). Towed to sea, she was sent to the United States as a prize, despite the Empire of Brazil's protests at the violation of its sovereignty. Even though Florida sank under dubious circumstances after a collision on November 28, 1864 with troop ferry USAT Alliance, she captured 37 prizes in her impressive career.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

November 29, 2023 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000